Page 33 of Little Empty Promises

Beneath her smiley exterior was a woman who seemed to have a lot to hide.

The next time we talked, if shehadlied to me, I’d find a way to ensure her lies came spilling out.

14

I showed myself inside my mother’s house and glanced around, not seeing anyone, but hearing voices coming from the kitchen.I made my way there, expecting to find her with Harvey, and the owner of the Mercedes parked out front.

When I entered the kitchen, my mother looked up at me and said, “Georgiana, how nice of you to stop by.”

“How was your girls’ weekend?”

“Grand,” she said.“We had the time of our lives in Palm Springs.Made a bunch of new friends, to boot.I just wish it wouldn’t have gone by as fast as it did.”

Sitting next to my mother was a woman I knew but hadn’t seen in person in some time.

The woman smiled at me and said, “It’s been a while, Georgiana.Nice to see you again.”

“And you, Mayor Bloom.”

She shot me a wink.“I’ve known you since the day you were born.It was Octavia then, and it’s Octavia now.”

“How’s the campaign for reelection going?”

“It’s going well.Benjamin is a formidable opponent, but I feel confident I’ll be voted in as mayor for another term.”

“I met Benjamin yesterday.He stopped at the police department to talk to Chief Foley about the case we’re working on.”

My mother’s eyes lit up.“We?Am I to believe Claudette took my recommendation, and she came to see you?”

I nodded.“She stopped by the office this morning.”

“Claudette’s a bit tightly wound, wouldn’t you agree?”my mother asked.“And not much in the way of conversation.I got the impression she didn’t like me when we met.She took my advice, at least.”

“She does get straight to the point.I was surprised when I learned you sent her to me.In the past, you’ve always been nervous when I’m investigating a homicide.”

“I’ll be nervous this time as well, I can assure you.It’s just … the more I’ve been thinking about what happened to Cordelia, the more I realize I want the best for my friend.And the best is you, dear.No offense to Foley or Whitlock.They’re decent, I’m sure you’ll agree, but they don’t have your talent for solving murders.”

We all had our talents, and even though I had a spotless track record of solving every case that came my way, it never felt right to take all the credit for myself.It was a team effort, no matter what percentage role we each played.

“Georgiana, would you mind if I asked you a question?”Octavia asked.

“Not at all.What’s the question?”

“What did Benjamin want to know about the investigation, if you don’t mind discussing it?”

In some ways, I did mind.

Though she was a family friend, Benjamin deserved the same privacy and respect as she did.I tried to think of a way to spin it, to say something without saying too much, a little game of dodge-and-confuse.

“He asked a lot of questions,” I said.“Did you know his mother was murdered when he was a child?”

“I know just about everything there is to know about him.I wouldn’t be a good opponent if I didn’t.We talked about it once.I get the impression it’s something he’s never gotten past.It’s a shame that it’s still a cold case.”

Eager to get off the subject of Benjamin, I took the conversation in a new direction.“Foley said you stopped in asking about the case as well.”

“Yes,” Octavia said.“I was hopeful at the start, but my visit wasn’t well received.Chief Foley is certain I want to be part of the investigation for political gain.”

“I wouldn’t say it’s yourulteriormotive.”

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